HelloFresh, the world’s top meal kit brand, and food solutions organization announced today an expansion of its “Beyond the Box” campaign to assist food banks in the aftermath of the expiration of COVID-19 SNAP benefits.
The company has pledged to provide 100,000 additional meals to food banks and non-profit partners across the country this Spring through a number of its brands, including HelloFresh, Green Chef, and EveryPlate, as an extension of their existing donation programs.
SNAP Benefits
As millions of individuals lost their employment as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, SNAP benefits were temporarily increased to assist low-income families. The additional benefits ran out in February, signaling the end of the pandemic. The average SNAP household received at least $95 less in benefits this month, with some receiving $250 or more.
HelloFresh is contributing 100,000 extra meals to food banks around the country, including Table to Table in New Jersey, Second Helpings Atlanta in Georgia, Tarrant Area Food Bank in Texas, and St. Mary’s Food Bank in Arizona. In addition, the company is expanding its support by opening a second temporary Community Fresh Market in Colorado.
This farmer’s market-style distribution, organized by Denver-based hunger relief nonprofit We Don’t Waste, will be open bi-weekly from April to July and will deliver a range of fresh vegetables, meats, and dairy items at no cost to anyone who needs it.
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HelloFresh Program
HelloFresh aspires to forever change the way people eat, even those experiencing food insecurity. Beyond the Box, a US-based social impact program focuses on reducing food waste and building a more equitable food system for those in need.
The program is made up of its “Meals with Meaning” initiative, which was started in 2020 in response to the epidemic and rising rates of food poverty. Meals with Meaning has distributed over 4 million free meal kits to people in need, with each kit containing HelloFresh supplies and step-by-step recipe instructions for making home-cooked meals.
HelloFresh also maintains its commitment to sustainability and social impact by donating over 19 million pounds of surplus food in the United States by 2022, benefiting more than 40 food banks and pantries around the country.
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